Critical Writing
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Review: Best of 2022 in Movies, Music, Books, Gaming and Streaming
From one of the year’s hottest video games to music from Harry Styles and a psychological thriller Apple+ series, here’s what topped critical writing students’ best of 2022 lists. Movies ‘The Banshees of Inisherin’ After the abysmal “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,” director Martin McDonagh’s last film, I had bated…
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Review: ‘She Said’ Gets Gendered Reporting Right
Media would be nothing without a good story to tell. Unfortunately, this need to entertain can sometimes manifest as the odd writer or director using women’s pain as a cheap tool to move audiences. In the wake of movies like “Blonde,” a semi-fictionalized account of Marilyn Monroe’s life, many of…
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Holiday Movie Offerings Range from ‘Must-Try’ to ‘Worth Skipping’
Holiday movies have dropped on streaming platforms, so here’s a look at two options, plus a seasonal classic. Review: ‘Spirited’ could be your new feel-good holiday favorite “Spirited” is a light holiday musical buoyed by charismatic performances and memorable music. Directed by Sean Anders, whose past work includes other comedies…
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Strong Black Female Cast Shines, Honors Late Leader In ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’
A “Black Panther 2” seemed out of the question when Chadwick Boseman unexpectedly died of colon cancer in August 2020. Boseman was more than just the center of the first film as King T’Challa, ruler of the fictional African nation of Wakanda. He symbolized the progression of Black actors and…
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Review: Sigma Delta Tau Successfully ‘Revives the Grind’
I’ve heard about Sigma Delta Tau’s Greek Grind and the chaos of the event every October since being admitted into the University of Georgia. Friends in various sororities have attempted to persuade me to purchase a ticket or join them at livestream watch parties because “it’s seriously so much fun!”…
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Review: Josh Bennett Band, Asymptomatics Show Local Music Scene is Still Flourishing
Tim Sommer, while working for MTV in the ’90s, once described Athens as “red clay, all night parties, loud bands and cheap, cheap rents.” While housing prices have since skyrocketed, the local bands have kept the spirit of its famous music scene alive and kicking through their idiosyncratic sounds and…
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Review: Gyro Wrap’s Return Introduces New Generation to Signature Dishes
One of the most difficult parts of leaving my hometown of Pensacola, Florida, for college in Athens was bidding farewell to the Syrian family recipes and my mother’s talented hands that put dishes like sour sumac tabbouleh on the dinner table after every long day. That was until I found…
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Review: The Foundry Could Elevate Your Game Day Fare
In a town known for restaurants that provide unique flavor combinations integrated into classic Southern cuisine, The Foundry’s new menu adds complexity to standard game day fare. After the pandemic hit Athens in spring 2020, The Foundry put a hold on its restaurant and bar, instead concentrating on its event…
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Review: Jon Spencer’s Kinetic Energy Drives 40 Watt Club Show
Barrages of shrill tremolo ripped through the festooned orange string lights and faux cobwebs clinging to light fixtures of a Halloween-themed 40 Watt Club. The source of the barrage was Clay Reed, lead guitarist and singer of the Atlanta-based, glam rock trio Subsonics. While the sound blasting from the Subsonics’…
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Review: Slutty Vegan’s Fun is Short-Lived
Aisha “Pinky” Cole changed the game when she brought vegan fast food to the late-night Atlanta scene in 2018. Slutty Vegan, which opened its fifth of seven locations in Athens in May, aims to provide yummy, but healthy options for “vegan desert” areas (Athens has around only five restaurants…